Arrow exec explains latest shocking, secret identity reveal

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To be a “secret” identity, the list of people who know about Oliver Queen’s (Stephen Amell) alter ego on Arrow is getting longer by the minute. But the latest reveal might just be the most surprising yet. Spoilers ahead!

After Malcolm Merlin (John Barrowman) was shot with a poisoned bullet during Wednesday’s episode, Ollie had to reveal his not-so-secret identity to his best friend, Tommy (Colin Donnell), to help save Malcolm’s life.

DC Comics Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns said the decision was hotly debated behind the scenes, but he believes the grand plan will make the show even more compelling moving forward:

"There's been a lot of discussions about that. One of the things is that everyone has a different reaction to that, and Oliver needs to be able to interact with people and talk about it. With Tommy, this is one where Oliver didn't do it by choice; he did it by necessity ... I think that [closing scene] says a lot about where this relationship is going to end up going. [That will play out] almost immediately."

Considering Tommy had remained in the dark this long, it looked like the secret would survive for at least the first season. But apparently not, and Tommy was absolutely shocked by the news.

Tommy has always been a hater when it comes to the vigilante, so processing that it’s been his best friend out there all along should be a great thread to follow the rest of the year. It’ll make for great drama to see how this news affects their friendship, especially considering that Tommy’s pop is secretly the Dark Archer.

For those keeping count, Tommy joins Diggle (David Ramsey) and Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) on the list of remaining Starling City residents who know the real identity of the Arrow.

Did you think it was a brave move to bring Tommy into the fold, or are the writers doing too much too quickly?